The Storyteller's Nashville

by Tom T. Hall

The popular recording star and successful songwriter--known in Nashville as the Storyteller--recounts his rise to stardom, provides inside glimpses of the country-music business, and profiles his fellow Opryland stars.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

221 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1979

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading a number of biographies and autobiographies of music stars, like Johnny Cash, Springsteen, Elvis Costello, George Jones and Loretta Lynn recently, I was kind of expecting the same thing here. And you do get the view from inside the music business. But Hall is the first to tell you that he was a songwriter first and foremost, and morphed into his second persona as an entertainer only later in his career. As a songwriter, you can be as private with your life as you want, but Hall notes that once you become an entertainer, much of that freedom is gone. As a songwriter, Hall presents his story as an artist, but also as a normal guy in a normal career. He details the pay he got as a songwriter, and describes the roommates and the drinking and some of the parties. He talks about his real estate investments throughout this book as if the choice of where to live (and to buy) was the most important decision he made. I surely didn’t get that from other singers’ books (well, maybe Johnny Cash and his compounds). This read like a normal guy telling how he worked and played with the stars in country music circles.

I listened to this as an audiobook, read mostly by Hall’s co-author. There were occasional vignettes with Hall himself telling a short anecdote. His voice was much deeper than I remembered, and sounded like he had aged and wizened. My favorite bit was about him being asked to name an eagle. That certainly had the makings of a Tom T. Hall song in the telling. Interesting stories for those who enjoy country music.

[Evan]

[Placeholder]

People tend to forget that one of the giants of classic country music is still with us (as of Feb. 2019), Tom T. Hall. He's not in the limelight anymore, but anyone who was around in the '60s and '70s remembers him well; he was pretty much a Nashville superstar back then. He was known as "The Storyteller," and for good reason. A slick sound had come into country then and so had formulas, but Hall went back to the days of telling simple, effective vivid stories in his songs -- often about a young man coming home from worldly success (himself) to his old stomping grounds to remember and appreciate where he'd come from, to honor the people who shaped him, people still barely alive or long dead. Hall's greatest artistic period, in my view was actually short, roughly 1969 to 1971 when he made his strongest records. After that a lot of his material became cloying and novelty-ish. But that short period was enough to create a solid body of classic work.

Back in the '80s when I was a young man, Hall and Johnny Cash were the two artists who best suited me for long drives across America's rural heartland. There's really no better music for driving past hundreds of miles of Indiana cornfield than Tom T. Hall's Greatest Hits.

This is an autobio that Tom wrote in the late '70s, and possibly the newer editions have been updated. We shall see, as my library has it.

Here's one of my favorite Hall songs, That's How I Got to Memphis, from 1969, demonstrating soul and power and beauty completely gone in today's "country" trash:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDHV4...

A bonus: I Miss a Lot of Trains,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B12Ll...

ke/eg '19

[Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at one of country music's most versatile and talented songwriters and performers. The audio version is particularly fun because each chapter includes one or two sentence vignettes narrated by Tom T. Hall; the rest of the book is nicely narrated. The book details Hall's life; he is rather candid about his ups and downs. He focuses somewhat on the state of country music as it was when he wrote the book, taking an optimistic view of the genre. There are laugh-out-loud moments in here, as you might expect from Hall, and you'll be fascinated to read of the others he worked with and even discovered. This was one of my first Audible purchases last summer, and while it is short, it was well worth the credit.

[Donita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterpiece is written by Tom T. Hall on Music City. Hall makes you feel like you are peeking behind the curtain to see what Nashville's music scene was like before "Nashville" became the "IT" city for bachelorette parties.

[Garrett Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom T. Hall's singular voice that created some of the 20th century's best songs also is well suited to writing a blissful little book on his experiences in the world of Nashville and country music. His eye for detail, humor, and honesty that you hear in his music is right here too.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful mix of autobiography, country music history and humor. Any fan or Tom T Hall will not be disappointed with this book. It has all the wit and charm of Tom T Hall’s songs.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing good songs doesn't necessarily translate to writing a good book.

[Heather Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite memoir or autobiography I've read from a musician to date. If you're familiar with Hall's warm, personable persona in performing and through his catalogue of songs, you'll see the same qualities reflected here. If you're not familiar, it's still worth a read.
His writing voice feels like he is talking, often very personable and sometimes quite profound. Even the written dialogue feels very natural.
It's a short book too, and for as conversational as it tends to be, Hall puts things simply. It's still incredibly poignant; for example these are a few lines from the three paragraphs total he wrote about his wife's death:
"My wife died.
I didn't write about her here so much. Not so much as I think about her every day "
Overall, it's a great memoir about one of the less dramatic lives of country music, but one of the more quietly impactful. The writing reflects this well.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this isn’t the most in depth country music memoir I’ve read, I am very quick to forgive that. Those in depth stories aren’t always the best stories after all.

It definitely expanded my view of Tom T Hall. I’m just young enough to have missed most of his “entertainer” years, and I’d always seen him as a very nice, very wholesome older gentleman who wrote charmingly silly songs. That is an ok way to be and an ok thing to do, but generally not very interesting to read about. I was happy find out there was more to the man. Lots more to him.

I once had a Tom T Hall’s greatest hits CD stuck in my trucks CD player for several years. Listened to it a million times probably, and didn’t think I’d ever want revisit those songs in particular, but as they entered the story, I went back to them. I expect he’ll be heavy in my rotation again for quite awhile!

[Patrick Wikstrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew hardly anything about this artist and his music, but my wife spotted this audio book in “the library” and was intrigued. Me too. Tom T certainly lived a wonderful life, full of experiences nd adventures. I thought this book provides a primer into the life of country music writers and artists s they struggle to make a name for themselves and turn out quality country music product. Tom knew all the greats and let slip with a few wonderfully irreverent stories. I found it a pleasant romp and came away with good feelings and admiration for the author. The bulk of the text is read by a young articulate voice the start of each chapter contains Tom himself giving us a taste of his gravel voiced viewpoints
2½**

[Laurent Gariépy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ça se lit une traite! Je me souviens m’être acheté une compilation de Tom T Hall dans une bine de disques à 1$, une peu par hasard, une compilation, il y avait une chanson. Ballad of Forty Dollars, que je connaissais parce que Johnny et Waylon la chantaient sur l’album qu’ils ont enregistré ensemble. Depuis j’ai découvert qu’il y avait plein d’autres chansons écrites par Tom t. Hall que j’aimais bien.

Donc j’ai vu ce livre, je me suis “why not?”… au final, dans les bio/mémoires/livres d’anecdotes que j’ai lus (et j’en ai lu plusieurs), je viens de le finir, donc je n’ai pas beaucoup de recul, mais je pense qu’il va être dans mon top 3 du genre et que je vais le relire éventuellement.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book anyone interested in country music, Nashville (especially in the '60s through '80s), or just a special American voice, as a writer and performer, who candidly discusses his career, which managed to focus on art and literary songwriting in a musical genre that could use more artists and songwriters with his aspirations for creating work that was real and that lasts. Peter Cooper's narration is as good as it gets, too.

[Maura Shanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself was perfect. Showing every bit if the storyteller that Tom T. Hall was. My only complaint was that I half read it and half listened to it on Audible. Very disappointing bc whole paragraphs and parts of chapters were left out of the audio recording, and additions were made that talked about modern artists and technology. I would have preferred to listen to the book in it ls true form written in 1979.

[John Hruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for all writers. Tom T. Hall is a country songwriter, however his insights about writing and creativity are brilliant, in my opinion. I am currently writing the second Space Spiders on Prom Day novel, and Tom's wisdom and joy of writing acknowledges and confirms my journey of writing as an adventure to be enjoyed.

[John Fulcoly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loaned this book and had no real idea who Tom T Hall was although I do enjoy country music. A lot of short biographical stories filled with some attitude and humor all the way through. Was doing some You Tube along the way to listen to some of the songs he wrote. Seems crazy that he and his wife Dixie could be as prolific as they were writing songs. Glad I read this book!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. Tom T. Hall's voice comes through well on the written page. At the end of the book he says his aim is to be honest, and it surely comes across as that. I didn't grow up listening to Country Western music, so I didn't get a lot of the references. Some I looked up, but most I just let slide by to keep the narrative flowing.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

These days books are my main form of entertainment, but I’ve dabbled in music too. Sounds like success in the music songwriting profession has always been a matter of hard work, Dumb Fuck Luck, who ya know, who ya blow...too much of this book annoyed me.

[Jeremy Hornik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amiably told story of Tom T Hall and what it was like to come up in Nashville in the 60s and 70s. Well written… in songwriting as well as memoir, he has an eye for the telling detail. If you’re not familiar with his songs, though, start there instead.

[Kate Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is truly the holy grail for Tom T. Hall fans. It is a great glimpse into Nashville in its glory days and it details Hall's steadfast independence from the bigwigs of the industry. It does have some cringeworthy descriptions of race and racism so be prepared for that.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is his life, told by Tom T in his way! The not so fun parts and a lot about how he came to be the “storyteller”. This was a talented songwriter. I really liked the story behind the stories in his songs. The stories are relevant today and may always be.

[Mike Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Nashville in the 70's and little bit about Tom T Hall's background.
He has been a lot more successful in his life than most country musicians. Seems the applauds really never hooked him.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, and a great peek into old Nashville for a new Nashvillian. If wandering thoughts are up your alley, this book will be exactly right. It was for me.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up listening to him. Takes me back to riding down home with my mom.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta read this as an audio book! His voice on it just makes you grin.